Paranoia
by EnbyPeep
Summary: The traitor could be anyone. Anyone.


_"Your role is to find the traitor."_

Gula shivered, and pulled his hood further over his face. He crossed his arms, trying to rub some warmth into them. The robes he and his fellow Leaders wore were more traditional than practical, it seemed. Then again, bitterly cold nights like this weren't exactly the norm in Daybreak Town. A part of him wondered if the ever-growing darkness could cause chill like this.

It certainly didn't help that Gula was out on the streets still, not even close to the warmth of his room in the clocktower. He had stayed out later than normal to let the evening pass into night and avoid the other Leaders for a day, taking his time watching the inhabitants of Daybreak Town go about their day.

_Watching for signs of the traitor._

But now, he walked briskly, trying to get home as soon as possible and warm up. He breathed out and watched the mist puff out. It was freezing, before soon it wouldn't surprise Gula if he woke up to a thick layer of snow. The thought of it snowing in Daybreak Town was a bit exciting, actually. He'd only seen snow a handful of times, and even then it was thin and muddy. Aced slipped and broke his mask, once, trying to race him across a road that had frozen over. When Gula'd tried to help him up, albeit laughing, he had wrestled him down and they both got their robes ruined in the mud.

The memory made him chuckle. He and Aced had always been competitive with each other, whether it be in sparring matches or races and whatnot; Laughing at each other's complaining after they wouldn't do that now without real venom, unfortunately.

_Best not to think fondly of potential traitors._

He gulped. The clocktower rang to signal midnight and Gula picked up his pace. Street lamps lit his way and casted long shadows across the road. He sighed and closed his eyes briefly, trying to will away the creepings of anxiety. His movement moved the shadowy figures on the walls and ground, and he tried in vain to ignore the dark alleyways hiding light knows what. He was the only one still out as far as he knew - the only one with even a reason to be out this late.

_Unless someone followed you._

But, no one would be dumb enough to try and follow a Union Leader this late, much less attack one. Still, though, he tossed a nervous eye over his shoulder. He didn't think even the traitor would be that stupid. Especially with Gula so watchful, now.

Nowadays, he's always looking, always watching. Glancing over his back, scouting the crowd, picking out conversations and body language of the wielders of Daybreak Town. Ever observant, ever suspicious. If the traitor had wanted to attack him, they had missed their chance. Gula was no longer as carefree and relaxed as he was, despite the act he puts on. He has to act normal as to not attract suspicion of his own.

_ He can't let the traitor get away._

He paused for a moment in the street. Shivering up and down, he took in slow, deep breaths. In, and out. In, and out. He was getting himself worked up too much right now over nothing. What kind of keyblade master is scared of shadows?

Right now, the only thing he wants to worry about is getting home to his warm bed and cozy little fire basin. Preferably sooner, rather than later.

A few more breaths and he was on the move again. Finally, he seemed to be getting close to the clocktower. But, really, why did he have to go so far out into Daybreak Town in the first place? Couldn't he had loitered closer to home? Why did he have to move around town so much?

_ To get the traitor off his trail, just in case._

He shook his head. No, Gula, we are not thinking about this again. Not tonight, not until he's in bed with comfortable pajamas, and a nice fire stoked beside him. He focused on that thought, and kept going, just a little bit faster.

The moon in the sky was bright tonight, with an array of stars spreading across. Gula stared out of the corner of his eye.

Pretty.

Invi and Ira would enjoy it, he thinks. He remembers when he was younger, back when he was just able to start summoning his keyblade, Ira would take him and Invi out on starry nights like this. He would point out constellations and teach them which stars were which. Invi would even give a fun fact from a book about this or that. Gula can't really remember what they had said back then, though.

A shame. Maybe they could all get together like that again sometime?

_ Maybe I could get some information out of them._

Gula blinked. Lost in thought, he was this close to walking slam into the clocktower door. When had he got here?

Doesn't matter, he thinks, he's just glad that he's here. He quickly fumbled the door opened, ignoring how numb his hands felt, and tossed one last glance behind his back. A dark, empty pathway leading back into town. Flowerbeds decorated the stone path in an array of brilliant colors. Or, used-to-be-brilliant colors. Was it just him, or were they all wilting a bit?

Ava probably doesn't tend to it as much anymore.

The garden was mostly her idea in the first place, in fact. Before, she would drag him outside with her to help pull out weeds or carry water and fertilizer to the different plants. All the while talking about this flower or this bush while he quietly voiced his complaints. The meaning of this flower, of that one; Which fertilizer goes with which plant, and which one to not bring within fifty feet of this one. Ava used to spend a lot of time out there. The town's not as bright without her flowers, he thinks.

_ Could the darkness in her heart be driving her to let them die on purpose?_

Gula damn near slammed the door shut behind him as he rushed up the many stairs up to his room. His hands shook as he went, but he didn't really care. Chalking it up to the cold, and definitely not anything else, he walked as fast up the stairs as he could without injuring himself. Really, why did they have so many chairs in the first place? Gula ventured to get to his room as soon as possible. . .Until he actually got to said hall, that is.

He stopped at the entryway, and looked solemnly down the corridor. Each room a ways apart from each other. And his all the way in the back.

He cursed at his misfortune, seeing as Ira's bedroom still had light seeping underneath it. Gula did not stay out until midnight and almost freeze to death to be bothered now.

He took a deep, almost calming breath. Slowly, he made his way across the corridor, treading lightly as to not alert the other night owl to his presence. If he was lucky, then Ira would be too caught up in pouring over the Book of Prophecies to notice his footsteps. If not, then Ira would've been waiting for him to hound him with question after question of where he had been and why he was so late.

And he definitely wasn't in the mood for a lecture.

Slowly, steadily, quietly, Gula made his way across. Past Ira's door, thank light, without a hitch. Past Aced's door, and wincing at the snoring he could hear even from outside. Invi's door, which he could smell the faint smell of her unbelievably strong perfume. Ava's door, with faded out stickers of cute animals still half scratched off her door from when she was little. And finally, his door, right next to. . .

Right next to Luxu's.

Gula shuddered and try to ignore the sadness at seeing the door so barren. Luxu's absence was troubling to everyone, to say the least.

Always a jokester, just like their beloved Master (who's disappearance also left a mark), Luxu was one of their strongest. While he was seemingly careless most of the time, every now and then putting on an impishly innocent act in front of their Master, he was studious enough to put Ira to shame. He was quick and always took training seriously, enough if he seemed aloof about it.

Gula can remember countless nights where, when Ira was too busy, he and Luxu would sit in the library and go over material. Whereas Ira tried to teach as much as he could in a single sentence, often overwhelmingly, Luxu knew how to simplify the complex concepts in ways that got the idea across.

In short, Gula missed him. He wonders what made Luxu leave, anway?

_ Maybe he's the traitor, and he's waiting for the perfect chance._

Gula froze before clamming himself back inside his room, taking care not to slam his door this time. He turned back to the array of locks he had fastened to his door frame, and took his time twisting and turning them all into place. Locks really wouldn't door much good against a traitor; If they really wanted to get in, then of course they had a keyblade. Still, though, it provided some semblance of comfort as he shivered and shook from what he didn't think he could pass off as cold anymore.

Not after he lit the basin, and changed into his warmest night clothes, and wrapped himself in a thick comforter that did anything but comfort him. His hands shook and hurt as he held them in front of the small fire and tried to control his breathing. In, out. In, out. In, out.

_ Those locks really won't stop anyone from getting in, only you getting out._

Gula shook a bit less, now, after heating up. His breathing hasn't slowed, though. This is stupid, he thinks. There's no way anyone would break in, traitor or not. He's one of the Union Leaders. The other Leaders are roomed right next to him; Hell, one of them's still awake, even. No traitor could possibly get in.

_ But the traitor could be anyone. Even-_

Gula gulped hard and closed his eyes. Tried to focus on the warmth of the fire, the softness of his clothes, the chill of the air even. He didn't want to think right now. Not about dangers, or darkness, or prophecies, or traitors, or ruined relationships and hated loved ones. . .

And definitely not the fact that the traitor could be right down the hall from him.


End file.
